New Provenge treatment for advanced prostate cancer faces another hurdle

WALL ST JOURNAL: The US government says it will begin analysis on whether the Dendreon company’s expensive immunotherapy treatment for prostate cancer – Provenge – is “reasonable and necessary.” READ MORE> (you need to subscribe)

The answer to that debate – the latest hurdle in Dendreon’s push to get Provenge used – will affect sales of the costly treatment.

If the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services covers it, that would increase the number of patients eligible and likely prompt private insurers to do the same. A denial by CMS could severely stifle the product’s growth.